Research: Connected car owners would not buy a driverless

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New research conducted by Solace indicates a lack of interest in driverless cars even from those currently enjoying connected technologies in their vehicle.

Drivers of connected cars are often seen to be early adopters, but it seems automotive manufacturers will have a hard time selling self-driving vehicles even to those at the cutting edge of technology.

More than half (57%) of the respondents in Solace’s research said they would not buy a self-driving car, even if they were reasonably priced.

Almost two-thirds (62%) believe the connected car technologies available in their current vehicles allow them to drive safer — somethingresearch backs up. Most of these cars offer assistive or semi-autonomous features rather than full self-driving capabilities.

Shawn McAllister, CTO of Solace, says:

"The automotive industry is focused on bringing self-driving cars to the mass market, but our survey showed that connected car drivers of all ages just aren't ready to hand over the wheel.

While advancements in autonomous vehicle technologies are incredibly exciting, it's important to keep an understanding of the consumer front and center. We hope our survey will help in this regard."

Solace’s findings match similar research (PDF) indicating the public’s wariness of giving up control to self-driving cars. Interestingly, older drivers appear to be more receptive to autonomous technologies than younger generations.

Almost half (46%) of millennials ages 18-25 would not trust their car to automatically react to driving conditions, whereas only a third of drivers 65 or older felt that way.

What are your thoughts on the research? Let us know in the comments.

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